2 measles-related deaths reported in Pennsylvania

Two Pennsylvanians have died after contracting measles, the state's health department said Tuesday.

Both people, who were unvaccinated, lived in Lancaster County. The state health department said in a release it will not identify the deceased to protect their privacy and that of their families.

Their deaths marked the first measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first in the country this year.

The U.S. has now seen five measles deaths in the last two years, more than the combined total of reported deaths over the past three decades.

During a press conference Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) blamed misinformation for declining vaccination rates - specifically calling out the Trump administration.

"When the information we see coming from the federal government, in some cases, isn't driven by facts and by science, it makes it even more confusing for parents, and that has a serious impact," Shapiro said.

Shapiro, widely seen as a Democratic presidential contender in 2028, added that he spoke with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by phone on Tuesday about the two deaths.

"I was very, very blunt with him, and I made very clear that his actions and the rhetoric that's coming from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America, particularly right here in Pennsylvania," Shapiro said.

"There's real-life consequences to scaring people and not relying on actual doctors and actual medical professionals to provide unbiased information to parents so that we can make reasonable decisions for our kids," he continued.

Shapiro said he declined Kennedy's offer of federal staffers to help with the outbreak.

Debra Bogen, the state's health secretary, said her "deepest sympathies" are with the loved ones of the two deceased Pennsylvanians.

"Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness," Bogen said in a release. "We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities."

The state health department noted it has confirmed 393 cases in 28 counties so far this year. Public health officials have confirmed 2,777 cases in the U.S. as of Thursday, with 94 percent of those cases associated with 36 outbreaks, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a statement co-signed by the CDC and its governing body, the Health and Human Services Department, the agency wrote that it is "working closely with state and local health departments to strengthen response efforts, rapidly support affected communities across the state, and communicate the steps people can take to slow the spread of measles."

"The MMR vaccine provides the most effective protection against measles and helps prevent its spread. CDC will continue to follow Pennsylvania's lead and provide resources to support the state's response," the statement continued.

Bogen noted the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is "safe and provides the best protection we have against measles."

Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order that proposes splitting up the MMR vaccine for children. The combined shot has been available since 1971, and doctors recommend kids receive it twice: at 12 to 15 months and 4 to 6 years.

On the day he signed the order, Trump said the MMR vaccine was "lethal" in some cases, contradicting established medical consensus.

"Together there could be a possibility they are quite lethal," the president said in the Oval Office. "And separately it looks like they are not at all lethal but just very effective."

The heads of multiple medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have pushed back on Trump's order - which also called for reducing the number of core vaccinations every child should receive to 11. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also noted on Sunday that the MMR vaccine is not lethal.

This story was updated at 4:42 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2026.